Maladroit [ENHANCED]

Weezer

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 14, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B000065BW8
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (375 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,013 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After taking five leisurely years to follow up on 1996's Pinkerton, Weezer are apparently on a roll. Arriving just over 12 months after The Green Album, Maladroit finds the Los Angeles power-pop band in the midst of a particularly fertile creative period. "Dope Nose," which is easily stronger than anything on the last album, flexes a sinister shout-along chorus and vintage Van Halen riffs, while the potent garage-punk blast of "Fall Together" wipes out any lingering discomfort over the thoroughly Sugar Ray-sounding "Island in the Sun." In a sense The Green Album was just a taster for this, the blissfully thunderous main dish. Sure, there are some deadpan emo moments ("Death and Destruction") littering the course, but mostly Maladroit is Weezer doing what they do best--inverting and embracing dumb rock stereotypes and somehow making them sound smart. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT CD, WITH FEW FLAWS, May 19, 2002

By	W. Stadler "www.PacificRidgeRecords.com" (Manhattan, KS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

maladroit is definately weezers best CD, the vocals and guitar solos have never been better. This is my personal opinion on each of the songs

1.AMERICAN GIGOLO- when i stuck in the CD my first thought "this is weezer"? but after hearin this song a couple of times you start to appreciate the hooks, great song 9/10

2.DOPE NOSE- Their first single off this album, this song is perfect in every way and reminds me of the older weezer, the guitar solo makes the song. 10/10

3.KEEP FISHIN- Almost "island in the sun" by the beat but, it is still unique in the way it doesn't stay at one tempo throughout the song. 8/10

4.TAKE CONTROL- I didn't like this song at all when i first heard it, but like most songs on this album they improve ALOT if you listen to them again. This song again supplies very good lyrics. 8/10

5.DEATH AND DESTRUCTION- a nice change of pace, with the slow beat..it picks up a notch about half way through the song, Rivers Cuomo's vocals have matured for the better in my opinion. 9/10

6.SLOB- my personal favorite on the CD, weezers never done anything like this..Starts out soft but almost evil sounding, a very nice change of pace. The guitar solo is almost creepy. 11/10

7.BURNDT JAMB- the lyrics on this song make the 10/10 right there, but assisted by a catchy drum beat and back drop singing. definately a 10/10

8.SPACE ROCK- nothing to interesting here, the vocals in my opinion [are bad] in this song and the chorus gets really old..worst of the best right here. 6/10

9.SLAVE- another single thats played on the radio. Very good song that sums it up right there. 9/10

10.FALL TOGETHER- the drum solo in the beginning deserves a hand *claps* then when cuomo starts singing damn, (song sounds very familiar i just cant put my finger on it) 9/10

11.POSSIBILITIES- they were goin for a hash pipe type reaction here, and if you ask me it worked, even though i dont think theres to much special about this, its catchy enough to be the next single. 9/10

12.LOVE EXPLOSION- EXCELLENT...i cant get enough of the first 20 seconds of this song the lyrics just [rock] "take a listen, around you all the people, that crowd around..." 8/10

13.DECEMBER- a good song to end on, but thats about it, basically it gets old after a while. 7/10

Overall this was a typical weezer CD (GREAT) and i hope they keep comin out with stuff like this.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars don't be fooled - maladroit is anything but awkward, May 23, 2002

By	"vintage_seafoam" (chesapeale, va) - See all my reviews

A wise friend of mine, after listening to this latest effort by Weezer, noted that Maladroit is to Green as Pinkerton is to Blue - and I think I agree. After all, Green is fairly light and fluffy, while Maladroit is a bit harder-edged. (While Pinkerton isn't *hard*, it's raw and rough, and though Blue is quirky, it has a decidedly cleaner sound.) And of course, both color-themed albums are almost instantly accessible, while Pinkerton and Maladroit take a wee bit more time to grow.

Yet Maladroit is really nothing like the others. Of course, no Weezer album is like another - each has its own distinct sound, and Maladriot's sound is pure and simple guitar rock. (And for once, the guitar solos don't merely mimic the chorus!) My guess is that "Dope Nose" will be the equivalent of "Hash Pipe" or "Buddy Holly" - the radio-friendly hit that is likely to be almost played to death. But there are other great songs to hear as well. "Burndt Jamb" stands out from much of the album - it's pretty damn catchy, too. "Take Control" has an entirely different sound from any other Weezer song I've ever heard . . . but this is no bad thing. Most of the other songs are really good, too - there's nothing that makes me reach for the skip button as yet. So yeah, ok, this is a lot different - but it's a good thing.

But then, that's the best thing about Weezer. Each album so far is unique from the overall work, unlike albums that have a lot of variety on each CD. Weezer's varied, but they're mostly the same ambience (for lack of a better word) from song to song on each album. This makes for nice mood-setting: if you're depressed and/or lonely, listen to Pinkerton; if you're feeling beachy and bubblegum, try Green; for your geeky days, have a bit of Blue; and when you want simple-yet-clever, catchy guitar rock, go for Maladroit.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a breath of fresh air, May 15, 2002

By	Nick Danger (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Thank God for this record. I don't know what was up with the green album (something about contractual obligations?) but MALADROIT is, in my humble opinion, the third Weezer album. Produced by the band, this album is way more raw, honest and original than the last one. I f you liked the the green album, and you let MTV dictate your taste in music, you might want to steer clear of this album. It might just be too thoughtful.

Ok, so I'm a snob. But, seriously, this album can be as poppy, at times, as the blue album ("Keep Fishin'") and as emotionally stressful as PINKERTON ("Slob") but there's a new influence behind Rivers' songwriting - listen to this album and tell me he hasn't been listening to a lot of classic rock. The first single, "Dope Nose," is a great example of MALADROIT's overall sound. A little bit of pop, with catchy hooks of "Whoa's" and "Yeah's" and enough rock and roll play big stadiums with a laser show and pyrotechnics.

If you love Weezer and were truly disappointed with the green album, do yourelf a big favor and grab this piece. It really rocks.